What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot stated he had landed runway 22 as he approached taxiway foxtrot the aircraft had slowed to the point where he thought he could easily exit the runway for taxiway. As I approached taxiway foxtrot, the aircraft had slowed to the point where I thought I could easily exit the runway for taxiway foxtrot. Using rudder/tailwheel control, I continued to move toward the taxiway. As I entered the the point where the runway intersects with the taxiway, I applied easy braking with both left and right brakes with intentions to stop the aircraft once off the runway. As soon and I applied pressure to both brakes (toe brakes) the left brake immediately went full travel towards firewall and the right brake operated normally with braking action to the right main wheel. This set the aircraft up for a ground loop resulting in left wing down contacting the soil at intersection of runway and taxiway. Once the ground loop started, left rudder and tailwheel had no effect on control of aircraft, and since there was no brake on left side, there was nothing I could do to arrest tail movement until ground loop stopped.
The ground loop stopped with the aircraft upright and level on the mains and tailwheel. We then pushed it forward on the taxiway to get past the hold short line and was then tugged to the ramp by maintenance shop . The airport fire/ems staff were there when we moved the aircraft. One of the fire/ems staff checked both brakes by hand from outside the aircraft and found the left brake to be defective, right brake ok. The mains and tailwheel rolled freely. There was no prop strike or apparent damage to aircraft except left wingtip where it contacting the ground during the ground loop. There were no injuries, scratches or bruises, etc.
Aircraft sustained minor damage overall. However left wing spar damaged, which caused this to be an accident.
A&P inspection of the brake system found: bad left brake cylinder. Fitting between there is a bulkhead fitting on the fwd facing side of the master cylinder that had worked loose, from I would say the pedal movement over the years as it causes the flexible line to pull on the bulkhead fitting when working the rudder pedals..
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATED HE HAD LANDED RUNWAY 22 AS HE APPROACHED TAXIWAY FOXTROT THE AIRCRAFT HAD SLOWED TO THE POINT WHERE HE THOUGHT HE COULD EASILY EXIT THE RUNWAY FOR TAXIWAY. AS I APPROACHED TAXIWAY FOXTROT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD SLOWED TO THE POINT WHERE I THOUGHT I COULD EASILY EXIT THE RUNWAY FOR TAXIWAY FOXTROT. USING RUDDER/TAILWHEEL CONTROL, I CONTINUED TO MOVE TOWARD THE TAXIWAY. AS I ENTERED THE THE POINT WHERE THE RUNWAY INTERSECTS WITH THE TAXIWAY, I APPLIED EASY BRAKING WITH BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT BRAKES WITH INTENTIONS TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT ONCE OFF THE RUNWAY. AS SOON AND I APPLIED PRESSURE TO BOTH BRAKES (TOE BRAKES) THE LEFT BRAKE IMMEDIATELY WENT FULL TRAVEL TOWARDS FIREWALL AND THE RIGHT BRAKE OPERATED NORMALLY WITH BRAKING ACTION TO THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL. THIS SET THE AIRCRAFT UP FOR A GROUND LOOP RESULTING IN LEFT WING DOWN CONTACTING THE SOIL AT INTERSECTION OF RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY. ONCE THE GROUND LOOP STARTED, LEFT RUDDER AND TAILWHEEL HAD NO EFFECT ON CONTROL OF AIRCRAFT, AND SINCE THERE WAS NO BRAKE ON LEFT SIDE, THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO ARREST TAIL MOVEMENT UNTIL GROUND LOOP STOPPED.
THE GROUND LOOP STOPPED WITH THE AIRCRAFT UPRIGHT AND LEVEL ON THE MAINS AND TAILWHEEL. WE THEN PUSHED IT FORWARD ON THE TAXIWAY TO GET PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND WAS THEN TUGGED TO THE RAMP BY MAINTENANCE SHOP . THE AIRPORT FIRE/EMS STAFF WERE THERE WHEN WE MOVED THE AIRCRAFT. ONE OF THE FIRE/EMS STAFF CHECKED BOTH BRAKES BY HAND FROM OUTSIDE THE AIRCRAFT AND FOUND THE LEFT BRAKE TO BE DEFECTIVE, RIGHT BRAKE OK. THE MAINS AND TAILWHEEL ROLLED FREELY. THERE WAS NO PROP STRIKE OR APPARENT DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT EXCEPT LEFT WINGTIP WHERE IT CONTACTING THE GROUND DURING THE GROUND LOOP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, SCRATCHES OR BRUISES, ETC.
AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE OVERALL. HOWEVER LEFT WING SPAR DAMAGED, WHICH CAUSED THIS TO BE AN ACCIDENT.
A&P INSPECTION OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM FOUND: BAD LEFT BRAKE CYLINDER. FITTING BETWEEN THERE IS A BULKHEAD FITTING ON THE FWD FACING SIDE OF THE MASTER CYLINDER THAT HAD WORKED LOOSE, FROM I WOULD SAY THE PEDAL MOVEMENT OVER THE YEARS AS IT CAUSES THE FLEXIBLE LINE TO PULL ON THE BULKHEAD FITTING WHEN WORKING THE RUDDER PEDALS..
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2509N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.